Hair Loss

Hair loss in guinea pigs can occur for a
variety of reasons. The most common is hair loss as a result
of either the guinea pig itself or another guinea pig chewing
on the hair over a period of time. Older guinea pigs or guinea
pigs that are higher in the pecking order will commonly chew
on the hair of younger guinea pigs to the point where the
hair will start to fall out. This allows them to assert their
force over these younger guinea pigs.

Another reason for hair loss in female guinea pigs is repeated
breading. The more times they have bred, the more hair they
will lose. There is very little that you can do to reduce
hair loss besides stopping them from breading. Usually this
will cause little harm to the guinea pig although they may
be at a higher risk of infection due to the lack of protection
that their hair gives them. They will also be more susceptible
to temperature fluctuations because the hair acts as insulation.

Some bacterial infections and diseases can cause hair loss
in guinea pigs. Hair loss is far more common in older guinea
pigs as it is in younger ones. Ringworm
and other parasitic infection have been known to cause hair
loss. Therefore, if you have a younger guinea pig and you
notice signs of hair loss a trip to the veternarian is probably
in order to pin down the root cause of the hair loss before
it is too late.